Like You, Justine Skye Is Over "Stupid Boys"

For Justine Skye, “ultraviolet” is more than the title of her debut album or the signature color of her hair; it’s also a state of being. “It’s just extremely powerful and I feel like that's the point that I reached, of power and confidence,” she says.

That state of consciousness is apparent in Ultraviolet, where Skye documents “a roller coaster of different stages of a relationship.” After accepting that she used to be “very insecure and naive” in love and dating, the 22-year-old approaches the world with a new awareness and strength.

Skye has released three EPs since 2013, including a handful of collaborations ranging from ScHoolboy Q to Wale. With her music—especially her freshman album—she's proving that she's more than just another pretty face in the Jenners' and Hadids' close group of friends.

Skye performing on TRL

Getty Images

For her debut album, Skye wrangled an all-star team of hip-hop and R&B hitmakers. PartyNextDoor worked on two tracks. Hit-Boy—who's worked with Beyoncé and Kanye West—produced her song "Lil' Boy" and let her record it at his LA home. Rihanna collaborators Fred Ball ("Love on the Brain") and Prince Charlez (“Needed Me”) also co-wrote a track. But working with all of these big names presented a challenge: making the music cohesive.

"When we first started working on the album, we were just trying to get songs done,” Skye explains. But the music was missing a common theme, and a meeting with Roc Nation’s Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith (JAY-Z’s close friend) left her feeling uneasy about the project. “So we scrapped everything and started over from scratch," she recalls. And they didn't have much time.

"We scrambled,” the Brooklyn native says. “We're like, 'Oh my God, what do we do?' Everyone's freaking out, mad at me. Like, 'What do you mean, Justine? We just spent all this money on this!' And I'm like, 'It's just not right! I don't feel good about it!' So we started over. They trusted me and they let me do my thing—and we did it."

Below, Skye walks us through track by track of her debut album.

"Wasteland"

"Making 'Wasteland' was fun. I just loved how, like, aggressive it was. I don't think I've ever done a song that was very straightforward like that. A lot of songs on the album are very, very blunt—just saying everything I want to say and not sugar-coating anything. So 'Wasteland' was just going for it, and I chose it to be the first because it was very just like, 'Boom. Here we go.'"

"Goodlove"

“'Goodlove' was the first song I did with PartyNextDoor. I sat there and talked to him about a relationship that I was in and my life and things that I love to do, and he was like, 'You know what? You're a bad bitch, Justine. You need to be confident in yourself, you need to stop doubting.' I'm a little shy too sometimes, and in this song, I felt that confidence."

"U Don't Know" featuring Wizkid

"Wizkid and I were working on a bunch of songs together and then I had this one song and it was missing one thing. And as we were sitting there working on a bunch of other things, I kind of was like, 'Wait, do you want to get on this song?' And then he was like, 'Sure, why not?' We were just playing around in the studio, seeing whatever we came up with."

"Back for More" featuring Jeremih

"I knew that there needed to be a male presence on the song because I wanted to have that take on it as well. Jeremih is a dope vocalist and I feel like our voices sound very great together and so we reached out and he was like, 'Yeah, let's do it.'

"Most of the songs I do, like, come to life, either a few days after or a month after. The situation came back to life because I was going through something with my boyfriend at the time and he literally did come back. The song came out, and he was like, 'Oh, I'll be back for more, huh?' When you think they're not listening, they listen."

"Don't Think About It"

"This is after the relationship when you realize, 'You know what? Screw that guy,' but you still need love. You don't want to be like completely, like, alone and just dry in the world. So 'Don't Think About It' is for that girl that who's focused on doing her thing but still wants to have fun but doesn't want any strings attached. I don't want anything to do with you, you're just a toy."

"You Got Me"

"This is a love song, but it's kind of like a rap love song. PartyNextDoor did this one too. I guess this is the most verbally aggressive song I've ever done, but I like it. I feel like the guys will like this one a lot too, 'cause I can picture guys bumping this in their car. It's a very hood song."

"Heaven"

"'Heaven' is the most vulnerable song on there. It's just being aware of what's to come into relationship, especially at this age. Everything's going great right now, and I love you so much that I know this is going to hurt. I know it's gonna hurt the shit out of me when we fall apart, which is exactly what happened.

"As I was recording it, I was like, 'Damn, am I setting myself up?' And I did. But I think I was waking up. It's one of my favorite songs on the album. Every time I have to sing and perform it live, it gets super emotional."

"Push Ya"

"All these songs are inspired by one stupid boy! But stupid boys make for great music. [Laughs] 'Push Ya' felt like, 'I'm not going to give up on you. I want this to work. So even if I have to push you, I'm going to make you fall for me,' which is what the hook says. It's also one of my favorite songs—I wrote on it. It's a chant-y song, you just want to sing it out loud, scream it with all your girls at a show."

Lil' Boy

"It's a diss song to my ex. This is another stupid boy; the stupid boy before the last stupid boy. I was really fed up with all the lies, because guys will tell you whatever you want to hear and then they'll be back for more. So 'Lil' Boy' is kind of the follow-up for 'Back for More.' You had your chance and you blew it."

"Best for Last"

"At the end of the day, we're young. Go do your thing and I'll go do my thing and if it's meant to be, then we'll be together in the end. Don't try to be this fake person for me. A lot of guys put on this weird front to try to get the girl they want, and so this song is basically telling him not to do that. I've seen it all. I know all the tricks, dude, just be real with me. It's just about being honest because that's the most important part in a relationship."

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